Photo courtesy of Rotochopper Inc.
St. Martin, Minnesota-based Rotochopper Inc. hosted 120 customers and prospects from across North America this September at its 10th Demo Day event. The company’s equipment is used to process scrap wood, scrap tires and other discarded materials.
In addition to a tour of the factory in St. Martin, attendees were able to witness demonstrations of Rotochopper’s newest equipment at Herman’s Landscape Supplies in Jordan, Minnesota, a Rotochopper customer.
At the St. Martin facility tour, the Rotochopper service department made a presentation on the company’s RotoLink remote monitoring system and preventive maintenance program.
Models displayed at the equipment demonstration grounds included the MT 237 trommel screen and what Rotochopper calls its newest machine, the Sarlac Pinch Point Shredder.
Socializing and networking events included a welcome from Chad Angeli, Rotochopper’s vice president of customer experience, a meal and “a little friendly competition playing bean bags, trivia and yard games.”
“Partnership is critical to Rotochopper’s relationship with our customers,” Angeli says. “This was the first Demo Day post Covid-19, and it was great to see 120-plus attendees take time out of their schedules to connect with us. It was a great week to demonstrate new solutions we have coming out in 2024 and get feedback on other areas we can help our customers.”
The event also included comments from Rotochopper CEO Tosh Brinkerhoff and Rotochopper Great Lakes West Sales Manager Lars Bergan, who emceed the equipment demonstration event.
Models displayed on the second day included the 480R tracked radial conveyor, working with the B-66L horizontal grinder; the 365 conveyor and FP-66 horizontal grinder grinding and coloring mulch; and an MT 175 trommel screen screening topsoil.
Also on display were the MC-266 horizontal grinder and B-66 E electric horizontal grinder, each of which ground whole pallets and pallet scraps to demonstrate Rotochopper’s “Perfect In One Pass” grinding capabilities.
The MC series grinder was introduced in 1994 and Rotochopper says it has been a staple in the pallet industry since its launch.
The B-66 E showcased the efficiency and reliability of electric powered equipment, which Rotochopper says can offer “remarkable uptime and productivity.”
Using a Go-Bagger 250 unit, a team of Rotochopper employees bagged colored mulch, designed to show guests new avenues for additional revenue streams.
Attendees also heard from Rotochopper co-founder Vince Hundt, who shared stories of Rotochopper’s early years with the company’s late co-founder Fred Peltz and described Rotochopper’s commitment to customers, employees and the community of St. Martin.
“It was energizing to bring this group of industry leaders together from throughout North America as part of our Demo Day,” says Brinkerhoff. “There was great excitement around our new products. Most importantly, our customers built strong connections with each other."
Additional Rotochopper models demonstrated were the 95 DK shredder, the TS 165 deck screener and what Rotochopper calls its “highly anticipated new B-66 LII horizontal grinder.” That 1200-horsepower grinder produced output that was placed onto a 480R tracked radial conveyor that “delivered a seamless material handling solution,” according to Rotochopper.
The equipment maker says having Demo Day at Herman’s Landscape was an asset to the event, as it gave attendees an inside look into a working business and how each of the pieces of equipment demonstrated could fit into it.
“One of our goals with Rotochopper Demo Day is to demonstrate as many machines as possible so the trip to our factory is worthwhile for our attendees," says Preston McIntyre, South Central sales manager at Rotochopper. "We understand a person’s time is extremely valuable, so one of our goals is to maximize their investment of time by demonstrating a wide range of Rotochopper machines in a real-world setting.”
