JULY - AUGUST 2021

 We are excited to announce the opening of a new Louisiana Rents facility in Covington!  This new location will expand our ability to serve customers in the ever-growing Northshore area. The branch officially opened for business on July 1st and is the seventh Louisiana Rents branch.  

The facility features six service bays across 20,000 square feet. The interior show room provides a rental counter, retail area for supplies and tooling, and adjacent rental and sales offices. 

 Louisiana Rents offers a full-line of Cat® machines and a wide variety of complementary products from leading manufacturers. These products include aerial lifts, compactors, compressors, lighting and other equipment. In addition, Louisiana Rents provides customers with everyday construction tools and supplies. 

We are looking forward to growing our business in the Northshore market and continuing to provide superior value to our customers! 

Address: 2501 N Hwy 190, Covington, La 70433

Phone: 985-327-1115

A Grand Opening event will be scheduled at a later date. 

An update from Vice President – Human Resources, Jim Miller:

We are pleased to announce that Davis Webb, Vice President of Machine Sales, has accepted the additional responsibilities of Chief Information Officer for Louisiana Cat.  As CIO, Davis will oversee the people, processes and technologies within the company’s Information Technology organization and ensure they deliver outcomes that support the goals of our business. Davis will continue to office in Reserve and report to Sally Boyce Rinehart, President of the Machine Division.

____________________________________________________

An update from Product Support General Manager, Trey Hebert: 

Given our current initiative of 2X26 we are continuously looking for ways to improve and develop our business. Last December we announced several key changes and introduced product specialists in both undercarriage and hydraulics. We now have identified our Machine Rebuild Specialist to help assist us in our quest of doubling services. Another area of focus will be updating our internal service policies and procedures, which will allow us to be more efficient while providing better value to our customers.  

Solidifying our sales coverage based on customer opportunity has also been on our radar. We have 

taken this time to address key areas of the state that will be crucial to our mission of doubling services. 

These strategic changes will put us in a better position to achieve our goal.  

Mike Deloach has accepted the role of our Machine Rebuild Specialist becoming our newest 

addition to our specialist team. Mike will work with our PSSR’s and service departments in a variety 

of areas in regards to rebuilds along with initiating proper procedures for all rebuilds ensuring 

we are meeting the expectations of our customers.  

Jennifer Forsyth has transitioned into the role of our Service Operations Analyst. This vital position 

has a wide variety of responsibilities allowing our Product Support team to function at its highest 

level especially in regards to service. Jennifer has been preparing for this for the last several years and 

will be an important part of our success while we focus on enhancing our policies and procedures 

to ensure we are as efficient as possible.  

Leah Campbell will become our Service Operations Trainer allowing us to focus on key areas of service operations allowing us to better serve our customers. Leah will be assisting our service departments in ensuring our work flow is consistent in all phases allowing us to be more proficient operationally. 

Josh Smith has accepted the role of Service Manager in Monroe. Josh has previous experience at 

Carolina Cat and Puckett Machinery along other similar roles in our industry. Josh brings with him 

solid leadership skills and a vast knowledge of service operations while remaining customer driven.

Josh Duncan has accepted the position of Monroe’s PSSR. This area of the state will now have 

full coverage allowing us to bring a pro-active approach to our customer. With Josh’s previous 

roles as service manager and service coordinator he will be well positioned to deliver the 

experience our customers have come to expect over the years. 

Joseph Colletti accepted the role of PSSR covering the Westbank down through the Houma 

area with many key customers to target. This allows us to have a firm grip on this region, 

which feeds our Reserve branch. 

A simple routine that will help you and your family stay safer at home.

What is a safety briefing? A safety briefing is a structured conversation focused on safety.  

Why do a safety briefing? 9 out of 10 accidents are caused by unsafe behavior. A safety briefing is a simple routine that prompts you to pause, think through what you’re about to do, talk about risks and plan for how to manage them. Done regularly, they will help everyone in your family have a safety mindset.

When should I do a safety briefing at home? On the jobsite, safety briefings are done before every shift. At home, it’s a good idea to do them before family activities, home projects or tasks that are new or could involve risk.  You can also use a safety briefing to review emergency plans, such as your family's wildfire safety plan or pre-hurricane plan.

How to give a safety brief: A good place to start in creating a family safety plan is with our S.A.F.E. 4-step process. Discuss these questions with other members of your family before getting started.  If you’re working alone, it’s still a good idea to mentally review the steps.

Scan: First, you Scan the area and think through the task to gauge the risks.

Assess: Second gather and Assess your equipment to make sure it’s in good working order.

Fit: The third step is to Fit yourself with the appropriate  Personal Protection Equipment 

and safety gear for the task.

Emergencies: Fourth, make a plan for responding to Emergencies.

STEP 1: SCAN

Before you start, assess the task and area  for any potential risks. For example, if you’re 

teaching your child to mow the lawn, you’ll want to talk through the steps they’ll need 

to take and identify hazards and what could go wrong.

Questions to ask:

• What is the process? Talk through the whole process from beginning to end.  This will help you identify all the risks.
• Do we know the proper way to perform the activity? Review the steps and practice if needed.  If the task is new, find a reputable source to educate yourself on best practices.
• What are the hazards or risks? Identify them and prepare for what can go wrong.

STEP 2: ASSESS EQUIPMENT

Using the right tools and equipment not only makes the work easier but also helps keep you safe. 

Using a tool too large or too powerful can increase risk and put the operator in danger.

Questions to ask:

• Do you know how to use it? If you’re using a new tool or piece of equipment, review the instructions. You can usually find instructional videos on the manufacturer’s website. When teaching others, watch the video together, then demonstrate how to do it. Make sure to monitor their progress to ensure they can do it safely.
• Is the equipment in good working condition? Do a maintenance check on any equipment you’re using before getting started. That could be checking fluid levels on your mower, the stability of a stepladder or checking to see if you have a phone signal in case of emergency.
  

STEP 3: FIT YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT GEAR

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is your last line of defense if something goes wrong.  

It can mean the difference between a scratch and a life-altering injury.

• Do you have the appropriate clothing and gear? If you don’t know what PPE items you need, a quick search online can help. Make sure it’s available before you get started. Keep it stored together to make it easier to gather.
• Is the gear in good condition? Inspect it before each use. Look for cracks, tears and deterioration with hard hats. Examine safety glasses for chips, scratches and scrapes. Gloves should be free of punctures and cuts. And work boots with worn treads or separation may need to be replaced.

STEP 4: PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES

No one wants to think about the worst-case scenario, but we need to be 

prepared in case something goes wrong.

• Does someone know where you are and what you're doing? if someone else is aware, they can get help if something goes wrong.
• Is anyone CPR certified, and who can call 911? Knowing who can help in emergency situations can save valuable time and may mean the difference between life and death.

Knowing how to give a safety brief and communicating the process to your loved ones is a great first step to making projects and activities at home safer. But it doesn’t stop there.

An update from IT Director, Cory Calcagno:
 

Beginning August 14th, the CWS login screen will have a two-step login process. On the first screen, 

the user will enter in their username and select “Log In”. Then, the user will enter their password on the second screen. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Beginning August 21st, the CWS login screen will migrate to begin using Microsoft Authenticator to validate a user’s identity when trying to access the Caterpillar network outside a facility. Example pictured above.

  Important note:  Dealer personnel who currently use Symantec VIP Access (our current multi-factor authentication tool) to validate their identity will need to register for Caterpillar’s new tool, Microsoft Authenticator, to successfully log in beginning August 21st.

Congratulations to the Training Department on achieving Excellence in Technician Development accreditation! Their overall score of 89% with no red action items demonstrated their continuous effort in supporting a world class workforce.  The accreditation was awarded to New Iberia by Jeff Fitch,  of the Global Dealer Learning (GDL) division at Caterpillar®.

             Mike Truxillo, Technical Services Manager - Engine and Devin Branch, HR Manager, have been working with the Cat® GDL division since the 2nd quarter of 2019 to complete this assessment. The assessment must be completed every 2 years. There are many different aspects where Louisiana Cat has to show and

document to the Cat GDL group our training effectiveness, training staff capabilities, record keeping 

of students, their career paths in DPC, training processes, etc.

TCDP-A is the Assessment that measures the effectiveness of the entire TCDP & Training Program. The overall purpose is to evaluate the current state of our training process, generate a rating and develop a personalized guide. This will enable our dealership to achieve a world-class technician training program. The result of the TCDP-A is an aggregate score from which dealers can gauge their progress and improvement with respect to an implementation action plan.

By completing this assessment, it allows Louisiana Cat to retain our Regional Dealer Learning Center status, where students, including customers and other Cat Dealers can receive Caterpillar Certified classes. Some of these classes are the same ones that they would get at either Peoria or Miami Lakes. 

Congratulations to Mike and his team!

Family Fun Day is set for October 23rd at St. Julien Park in Broussard including a softball tournament, kids activities,  door prizes and more! The host hotel will once again be the Homewood Suites, located at 201 Kaliste Saloom in Lafayette.  You are responsible for booking your own room. Each employee will receive one complimentary night’s stay. You will have to hold the room with your credit card, but you will not be charged as long as you check in to the hotel. If you choose to stay two nights, you will be responsible for the second night’s payment. You will be responsible for any cancellation, “no show” fees. 

You may also call the hotel directly to book your stay. Call  337-264-6044 and 

ask for the Louisiana Cat block, the group code is CAT. 

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL STAY

Below you will find information regarding the 16th Annual Co-Ed Softball Tournament including tournament rules and roster form. Please read thoroughly and return your team rosters to myself by Wednesday, September 22nd. The age limit will be enforced, you MUST be 16 years or older to play. All team members must be a Louisiana Machinery Company Employee or Employee’s immediate family member as outlined in the rules. WILL YOUR BRANCH BRING HOME THE TROPHY THIS YEAR?

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TEAM ROSTER FORM

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TOURNAMENT RULES

 For any questions, please contact Megan Lerch at Megan.Lerch@LouisianaCat.com. 

July Service Anniversaries:

James Burgess............20 years 

Ross Meche............20 years

LJ Voorhies............10 years

AJ Massey............10 years

Mike Messa............5 years

August Service Anniversaries:

Bryan Breaux............25 years 

Jimmy Carr............20 years

Jason Clack............15 years

Rodney Morales............10 years

Jenny Champagne............10 years

Cory Calcagno............10 years

Curtis Hoffpauir............10 years

Jarvis Hebert............5 years

Danilo Brizuela............5 years